With its cool combination of sweet and tart, Lemon Meringue Pie can be a crowd pleaser at any baby shower. And what’s not to like with its lemony zest, delicious pastry and soft fluffy cloud-like topping, this truly is a dessert worth sharing.
Although it can look like a lot of work, this dessert is very simple to create, so let’s get baking.
For the crust:
Ok, I know that I should be listing off all the ingredients for a pie crust right about now but you can simplify your life a lot more by purchasing premade pie crusts. They are just as good as the homemade version and no one but you and I needs to know.
If you prefer making the crust yourself, then I would strongly recommend using the TenderFlake recipe that you find on their box. I have used many different recipes for pie crusts and none of them have turned out as well as TenderFlake pie crust. For this reason, I am not going to give you directions for pie crust but instead I will direct you to the package for your Tender Flake recipe or visit here. Don’t forget your pastry cutter.
For the filling:
- ½ cup of cornstarch
- 1 tbsp of cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups of water
- 1 ½ cups of sugar
- ½ cup of lemon juice
- 3 tbsp of butter
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tsp of grated lemon peel
For the topping:
- ¼ tsp of cream of tartar
- 3 egg whites
- ½ tsp of vanilla
- 6 tbsp of sugar
Chef’s Tip:
Separating Eggs:
If you have been around a kitchen for a while you probably know how to separate an egg yolk from an egg white but for those of you who are just starting out or who have never come across a separated egg in a recipe before, here is a fast, simple way to separate an egg that doesn’t require any fancy kitchen gadgets.
Place the eggs out on the counter for a few minutes so that they are not too cold. Crack an egg and either flip into one side of the opened shell or into your clean hand. Allow the egg white to slide out of the egg shell or through your slightly parted fingers into a separate bowl. Shift the egg around in your hand or in the shell so the excess white will separate from the yolk. Sometimes I find that I need to grip the dropping white and pull it gently but this only occurs if the egg is too cold. I also find that separating the egg out of the shell is much easier than using the shell. When the egg is separated, place the yolk into a separate bowl and place to the side.
After that all you will need to do is thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water.
To create a master piece:
Before you do anything, preheat your oven to 400°F
The Filling:
- In a medium sized saucepan, sift together both measurements of corn starch and the sugar.
- Slowly stir in the water
- Place saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly
- Once the mixture is boiling, add the lemon juice, lemon peel and butter
- If you want filling that is yellower, place in a few drops of yellow food coloring at this time.
- Continue boiling for about 1 minute or until the mixture has thickened slightly. Don’t forget to stir the filling frequently.
- Remove from heat
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks
- Remove about ½ of the hot filling from the saucepan and gradually fold it into the egg yolk
- Return the remaining hot mixture back to the stove and fold in the egg yolk mixture back into it
- Stir constantly as it is brought back to a boil and continue boiling until the mixture is thick.
- Remove from heat and pour into a 9 inch pie crust
The Topping:
- Place separated egg whites into a large mixing bowl.
- With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites
- Add the sugar, cream of tartar, and vanilla gradually and continue to whip until stiff peaks form
- Pour over the filling and spread to the edges of the pie crust
Baking:
Bake the pie at 400°F until the meringue is golden, roughly 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Serve cold.
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